Budget Cutting Affects Veterans On A Local Level

Federal budget cuts could spell the end of a New York grant that has helped about 100 local Rochester veterans annually find jobs.

The Department of Labor’s Veterans Workforce Investment Program — which accounts for 47 percent of the employment training funding at the Veterans Outreach Center in Rochester — is scheduled to be cut from the federal budget in June 2013, dealing a large blow to the organization’s ability to provide training and networking services to job-seeking veterans.

This calls into what it means when “veterans cuts are off the table.” Yes, the funds going to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is not going to be cut, but not all funds that assistant veterans come from the VA directly. It appears that other programs are still available to cuts.

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is fighting in Washington, DC to keep the program funded, but there are no guarantees.

If you know of a program that is not funded by the VA and helps you or your family, please let me know so that we can organize to save programs that help you.